Five Nightmares (Part 2)

GAME: Telamon rolls knowledge/arcana: (12)+21: 33
GAME: Schara rolls 1d20+9: (18)+9: 27

As the group makes its farewells to the man and his dogs, Telamon frowns, walking back into the dining hall. "Some healing drafts use a rose petal infusion for their base, but..." He pauses, considering. "Maybe I'm looking at this backwards. Gearsmasher's a wizard, he'd need material components for spells -- and the common material component for sleep is rose petals." He hmphs. "Damn. Well, that's a sign he's not just bedridden or incapacitated."

Tel sighs, straightening his tunic. "Let's check the third door. The only comfort I'm getting from this is that these poor souls can't be hurt any more. May Ni'essa light their way."

"Roses have a pretty distinct smell, usually. Actually you know, they kind of fell out of fashion with a lot of mages, but I remember in one of the magical theory books I was reading, they're a common material component of spells used to induce sleep. Doesn't explain the other smell, though." Eztli muses. "I guess that lines up with what Telamon was thinking, and it might be him, or another wizard he's working with. A lot did escape."

"Thank you for everything you shared, it's appreciated. I hope you'll be able to find peace, sir."

"Your cooperation is appreciated," MAC offers the witness before trodding back into the main hub after the others, apparating back into view as the cloaking charge is expended. "Subdual of victims prior to assault is consistent with established data. Basic description of perpetrator obtained. Advisement: obtain probable location of perpetrator."

The third room is far different than the other two. Firstly it's a huge white blank space, and second... it is filled with terrified screaming. Whoever is in this room has not handled their death well. It doesn't take long to find them in the space of the white room.

A stuffed bear flickers in and out of existence.

"NOOOOOOO!" The goblin man is scraping at his chest, ripping at his clothes to get to flesh bonded to metal. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

The Vardaman advocate behind Telamon sighs deeply. "This one has not accepted death at all. Perhaps though... you might be able to offer aid. As you did to the first."

GAME: Telamon rolls Wisdom: (3)+4: 7
GAME: Telamon rolls Wisdom: (16)+4: 20
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+20+9: (2)+20+9: 31

Telamon nods to Eztli and Mac. "No way to know yet. But the more information we put together, the better our chances of bagging him before he claims another--" Then the door opens and the screams wash over Tel, causing him to freeze for a moment. Then he steps into the room, his expression growing pained at the gobber's clear distress. When the advocate speaks to him, his brows furrow, and he says, "Well... this is my house, and it bends to my will..."

There's no gestures, no words. Telamon concentrates, and there's a ripple in the air... and then a soft -pop-. A stuffed animal, crafted into the likeness of a white raven with blue eyes, appears before the gobber. Then another pop, and another. A dozen stuffed animals, various designs. A wide eyed bear, nearly big enough to curl up on. A somewhat goofy-looking lion is sprawled next to a floppy-eared dog. A dragon in eye searing paisley colors and a bright green alligator with a top hat sewn onto its head. All piled around the gobber in an attempt to calm the soul.

If this witness is not aware of his current status, it is probable that the reaction to a construct would be similarly blunted. This may also inhibit his ability to recall details pertinent to the investigation. The constant screaming may also hinder communication.

"Remain calm," it directs the gobber. "Your chassis is nonfunctional. No further damage expected and unexpected damage will cause no further impact. All perceived threats are false." It pauses as multiple cloth animals are willed into existence. "Additionally, impact damage with your surroundings is now minimized."

Eztli wasn't expecting the next room. The small makari was frozen on the spot for some time, before she managed to step a bit further into the room. "Hey, hey. Take a moment to breathe." She attempts to dissuade. "Is that bear there yours?"

It's not an instant fix, the goblin has to open his eyes first, but when he does the screaming tapers off to unhappy whimpers and then... A green alligator with a top hat is chosen from the pack. It gets pulled slowly toward the goblin with the arm that is not closest to the unwanted adjustments to his physiology. The whimpering gives way to relieved tears and the stuffed animals are gratefully accepted.

It's then that the room shifts subtly from a plain white space to what looks like a toy shop that has upended its gifts of stuffed animals onto the floor. Telamon's additions are unchanged and remain closest to the goblin who cuddles them. Given the goblin's apparent age of at least thirty, it's a bit of a surprise that this is the space chosen for him, but he seems to slowly be calming in it.

Finally he looks up, eyes watering. Breathing as he's told by Eztli and looks toward one of the bears. "BUSTER!" He exclaims, holding his arms out for the stuffed animal like an expectant child. The bear flies into his arms (the magic of dreams) and he crushes it to his chest thoughtlessly. "I've missed you my friend."

Telamon gestures silently for Mac to remain back, as he walks towards the gobber, picking his way carefully around the stuffed animals until he's next to the victim. Then he sits down next to him. "Good day to you," he says, his dark eyes glimmering with gentle cheer. "They call me Telamon. Take your time -- you've had a rough road." Tel pats the goblin on the shoulder. "You've got as much time as you need."

Eztli calms a bit as the whole situation seems more under control, but unsure what to add, she just looks to the ghostly figure that had been joining them. "You understand these things better than I do. Why was the previous one person missing their eye, but he remains with the metal?" She wonders, trying to be quiet enough to not be overheard by the goblin.

MAC-B1G acknowledges Telamon's gesture and does not approach further. It appears that its offering did not improve the situation, so it does not reiterate its prior explanations.

Thankfully for Eztli, the goblin is more concerned with their stuffed animal than with what they happen to be saying. The goblin is in fact holding a small one-sided conversation with the bear. Normal stuff you'd ask a friend you haven't seen in years only... Only one of them can answer.

Eventually however, the spirit of the goblin seems to be satisfied with catching up with the bear and looks around at those in the room. A semi-fearful gaze given to Mac and then focus upon Eztli and Telamon who are standing closer by. "Why are you here?" There's fear in that question.

Telamon doesn't react to the goblin talking to his stuffed animal. Just waits, patiently. When he's addressed, though, he speaks up. "We need your help. And maybe we can help you as well." Tel picks up the stuffed Pothy, and begins stroking it as he talks.

"We know someone hurt you. They hurt other people too. We're trying to find them and stop them from hurting anyone else. Whatever you can tell us, that'll be enough." Tel thinks of something, and then gives a hard, very goblin-esque grin. "When we find them, we'll give them plenty of fire." Never hurts to play to the gobber's possible fascination with all things incendiary.

"Maybe you need to be the one to ask them after Telamon." Eztli shrugs, turning her attention back to the goblin. "We're here to make sure you're doing okay. And if you're feeling up for it, if you could help us with whoever is behind what happened like Telamon is saying, we'll make sure they're dealt with." She adds solemnly.

MAC-B1G takes a step back in light of the look from the gobber. Its hypothesis on the witness' lack of reaction, previously, is now irrelevant. It does vocalize its concurrence with the others on the ultimate goal of the task force, however. "Affirmative. Perpetrators will be apprehended and remanded or neutralized, as directed."

There's uncertainty on the goblin's face, and then fierceness in his eyes and in the teeth he shows in his smile. "I smelled trihalomethanes, and rose oxide... and then I was out. When I woke up that crazy metal monstrosity was..." He shudders but grips his teddy tight. And the alligator. "Replacing my *skin*. Afterwards it - he - threw me in a cage. I don't know how long I spent there, but it.... he? Didn't feed me at all. A goblin's gotta eat!"

Usually six meals a day.

The goblin man shakes his head. "I just wanted out. Picked the lock on the cage with some acid from... somewhere." He looks embarrassed here. "And got all of ten feet before I was captured by more... of *them*." He looks at MAC-B1G. "You're not one of 'em are you?"

GAME: Telamon rolls craft/alchemy: (18)+21: 39

Telamon shakes his head. "He's not with them." He makes a disgusted face. "I know a few goblins, so you're right. Absolutely monstrous to not feed you." He gives the gobber another pat on the shoulder. "No worries. There'll be plenty to eat where you're going, I know that much."

Tel leans back, giving his stuffed Pothy a pat. "Worries the hell out of me that this son of a bitch has help. I guess you probably didn't get a good look at them when you escaped." His eyes twinkle. "Pretty clever with the acid, though. My compliments."

"Negative," MAC responds. "This unit is not affiliated with units that previously assaulted you. This unit is opposed to these forces. Request further details regarding these threats."

"The golem here with us is not working with them in the slightest, trust them." Eztli agrees. "Wish I could take notes though, but I'll just have to remember them."

The small makari thinks about taking the stuffed dragon, but decides to leave it for the soul more in need of it. "Thank you, that's all extremely helpful. Sounds like you're real smart though, I bet you're smart enough to know that given time, you can know that metal isn't part of you. This experience shouldn't define you, you know?"

The goblin looks at Mac and nods. "Actually, I did get a look at 'em. They looked like war golems. All of 'em. Different kinds but all made of bronzey stuff. Metal. All but the main one. He had.... arms. Lots of arms. All of them but him were... lacking something. You know? In the eyes...." He sighs.

Big eyes look at Eztli. "You weren't there. You don't know what it's like... I can't... I don't..." Tears fill his eyes and he hugs his stuffed bear tightly. "I can't."

"They might not have been true wargolems, but animated automata," Telamon suggests. "Wouldn't surprise me that someone like that surrounds himself with mindless servants." He arches an eyebrow. "Lots of arms?... huh. That's... disturbing. And strange. Something we'll have to deal with."

When the goblin's eyes fill with tears, Telamon sets Pothy next to him before reaching out to put his arms around the tearful victim. "It'll be all right, I promise. You've got all the time you need. And there's help out there, if you want it." A glance given to the robed advocate. "And then you'll be free of it."

"You're right, I wasn't there. And it doesn't matter what I've been through, there's no benefit in comparing right?" The makari shrugs, taking a seat nearby. "All you have to know is, even if I don't know what you've been through, I've been through things myself. You don't need to figure things out right away, but you've had so many years of other things that you've done. It's just one part of everything, a short part of it. You'll have time, and people to help you, and I hope that all that will help you realize what might be difficult to admit or accept right now."

MAC-B1G was likewise not present at the event and possesses data only from the post-mortem discovery and that provided hence. It parses the comments of the constructs, a topic of which it possesses more direct details. "Presence of multiple constructed threat-allied units confirmed." Its faceplate subsequently pans towards Telamon. "Inquiry for future: Detail criteria in stated classification of constructed units."

Perhaps its data on automatons is not as complete as one might presume.

The goblin really has no further information for you beyond that. He died shortly after his reimprisonment from an infection. He is soothed by Telamon's words more than anything, but you leave him in better condition than you found him. Which is not nothing.

Telamon leaves the stuffed Pothy with the goblin along with the other animals, as they make their way out of the goblin's room. Once the door shuts, he exhales a bit shakily, leaning against the wall a moment before straightening up again. "Alright," he says with a surprising snap of command in his voice. "I think we know what we're dealing with, or at least what to expect. Now we just need the 'where'. I believe Archmage Mithralla was looking into that; we'll need to share notes with him." He pauses, his eyes hard. "I hope he hasn't gone off to deal with it himself. He could probably handle it, but I'd be most irked if we didn't get our licks in."

He walks over to the dining room table, and picks up a glass of wine, taking a sip, before he sighs. "You are, of course, welcome to sit down, and we can discuss this. Or I can return you to your own dreams, and from there to wakefulness. I won't judge." He offers a small smile. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted some time to think about this -- or not, as the case may be."

-End